Saving Zoey
by sunrisesong15
Summary: Zoey is kidnapped... and Chase is the only one who can save her... CZ of course. No flames please.
1. Chapter 1

Saving Zoey

Chapter One:

Help!

"Help! Someone!"

This cry was so frantic that Chase turned. The voice was familiar to him. Lola's. Her call was fearful. Chase ran towards her voice and

saw her standing in the doorway to one of the school's buildings.

"Chase!" she called. Chase ran to her.

"What's wrong, Lola?" he asked calmly, steadying her with his hands. Lola was shivering and shaking like crazy.

"Zoey. She's lying in the lounge. She's not conscious," Lola told him. After that, Chase lost his calm manner. He burst through the doors

of the lounge. He saw her, the girl he had loved since eighth grade, lying unconscious on the ground. There was a deep gash on her

forehead, dripping blood down her face. He let out a choked sob, wanting to just break down and cry but he couldn't. He had to get

Zoey to a hospital. Chase gathered up Zoey's fragile body in his arms as carefully as possible. She lay limp in his arms, unmoving. Chase

heard a muffled cry from Lola, who was still standing in the doorway.

"Go ask Logan for the keys to his car," he ordered her. Lola didn't hesitate, she just ran. Chase started to carry Zoey to Logan's car.

Within moments of when he got there, Lola showed up, carrying Logan's keys. Without a moment's hesitation, Lola got into the driver's

seat. Chase got into the back, laying Zoey across the backseat, with her head in his lap. He brushed a strand of her hair from her face

and whispered:

"It's gonna be okay."

A/N: This was completely spur-of-the-moment. I'll be sure to update soon.


	2. The Key

Saving Zoey

Chapter Two:

The Key

The first thing Zoey noticed when she opened her eyes was a pair of very worried green eyes above her. Her head was throbbing and

she was tired. The second thing she noticed was her hand in Chase's. She felt him relax slightly.

"Zoey," he said quietly. Zoey smiled weakly. He let out a sigh of relief and gently kissed her knuckles.

"What happened?" she asked, her throat dry.

"Lola found you in the lounge unconscious," he told her. Suddenly, everything came rushing back to her. She tried to sit up but failed

miserably. Her throbbing head began to spin.

"Where's Nicole?" she asked, panicked. Chase was confused. Zoey's hand jumped to her neck. She felt around frantically, like

something was missing.

"What's wrong, Zoey? Chase asked. Zoey began to explain:

Flashback:

"Hey, Zo, what do you think about Jake Hansen?" Nicole asked. Zoey shrugged and grinned.

"Another crush, Nicole?" she asked.

"Well, at least I'm not completely clueless to not know when a guy I know is in love with me," Nicole said, pouting and folding her arms

across her chest irritably.

"What are you" Zoey was cut off by two men grabbing Nicole roughly by the arms. One man grabbed Zoey's arms and shoved her to

the ground.

"Zoey!" Nicole exclaimed. She tried to pull away from the other man but he held her firmly. Zoey stood up quick as a flash just as the

man who pushed her turned away. She grabbed the object closest to her, which was a mop, and swung it at the man. The mop made

contact with the man's temple, knocking him to the ground. She ran towards the man holding Nicole and punched him as hard as she

could in the stomach. The man was stunned for a moment, but soon regained his composure. Someone grabbed Zoey around the waist.

She flung her arms out to Nicole, who did the same. Zoey stomped on the man's foot and gripped onto Nicole's arms, trying to pull her

away from the man. Nicole caught onto Zoey's key necklace and accidentally broke the chain. Suddenly, pain flooded Zoey's head.

Zoey fell to the ground. Before she blacked out, she heard her best friend cry for her:

"Zoey!"

End Flashback

"Do you have any idea why they were after Nicole?" Chase asked Zoey, who was pale with worry. Zoey shook her head, which made it

spin. Then her eyes widened.

"I do remember something else though. One of the guys said, "Now Brooks will feel bad for putting Rico in jail." Zoey told him.

"So… they're after your dad?" Chase asked gently. Zoey nodded. "Why did they take Nicole?" he asked, puzzled.

"No idea," Zoey said just as her brother came running in. Her brother hugged her tightly. Zoey looked over his shoulder at the other

people in the doorway. All of her friends were standing there, all looking extremely worried.

A/N: Preview next chapter: An old friend of the gang's is kidnapped.


	3. Aiport Abduction

Saving Zoey

Chapter 3:

Airport Abduction

Nicole woke up in an odd place. It was mostly dark with the only light coming from the ceiling light above her. Nicole's head ached and

she felt woozy. She couldn't move her arms and legs. She looked around. This place was cold.

"Ah, look, the Brooks girl is awake, boss," she heard someone say. Nicole shivered. A tall man stepped out into her view with a stumpy

man by his side. The tall man looked at Nicole.

"Who the he" Nicole started but was stunned by a sharp pain to her eye. The man had punched her. Nicole cringed.

"You moron!" the tall man shouted. The stumpy man cowered.

"What do you mean sir?" he asked cautiously. The tall man threw his hands up in the air.

"This is not Zoey Brooks!" he exclaimed. Nicole gasped. 'Why were they after Zoey?' she thought. Suddenly, Nicole remembered what

had happened. She fingered something that was in her right hand, knowing it was Zoey's key. She gripped it tightly.

"What the hell do you want with Zoey?" Nicole asked. The stumpy man slapped her across the face.

"You have no right to talk to us like that, girly," the man said. He raised his hand to strike her again, but the tall man grabbed his arm.

"I've got a new plan," he said, smiling devilishly.

* * *

A thin Hispanic girl stood in the terminal of the Los Angeles Airport. She ran her hand through her thick curls in frustration.

"Miss Cruz?" a man said from behind her. Dana turned quickly and smirked. Before her stood a man in a suit and a funny cap, obviously

a limo driver. 'So Logan sent a limo,' she thought. She handed the man her bags. He opened the door for her. She grinned. 'This

definitely does not suck,' Dana thought as she got in. But when she did, a hand clamped over her mouth. The hand was removed a

second later and replaced by a cloth. Her vision blurred and she slipped into the darkness.

* * *

Zoey, Chase, Michael and Lola were all sitting in the girl's lounge. Logan stood in the doorway, his face white as a sheet. He motioned

Chase over.

"Chase, Dana's…" his voice trailed off.

"What?" Chase asked.

"Dana's missing," Logan said.

"What? How?" Chase questioned. Logan just shrugged and nodded in Zoey's direction.

"Are you going to tell her?" he asked. Chase looked over at Zoey. Ever since Nicole was kidnapped, Zoey had been so distant. When

they talked to the police they said that hostages don't usually live more than two days. Nicole had been missing a week. Zoey was

already blaming herself for Nicole's disappearance, did he really want her to blame herself for Dana's? In his heart, he knew he had to

tell her. She trusted him. Chase walked back over to the group and sat down on the couch. Logan just stood in the corner, leaning up

against the wall, arms folded across his chest. Chase could tell it was killing him that Dana was missing.

"Zoey…," Chase started gently. Zoey turned to him. "Dana is missing."

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. The pastfew weeks have been nuts.Thank goodnessit's almost summer! Any way,thank you for being patient. **

**Next Chapter: Zoey's reaction to Dana's disappearance and Dana and Nicole seeing each other.**


	4. Pain in My Heart

Saving Zoey

Chapter 4:

Pain In My Heart

A lump formed in Zoey's throat. First Nicole was taken. And now, Dana. Zoey cried out and felled to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

She felt someone touch her arm gently. Chase wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up. Zoey clung to him, tears flowing

down her cheeks.

"She can't be, she can't be," she murmured, "Dana's too strong." Logan, who was still leaning against the wall, cringed. He walked over

to her and cupped her face in his hand.

"It's not your fault, Zo," Logan cooed gently. Zoey looked away from him, trying to not to cry so much. She knew this was hard on

Logan, too. He just had to pretend that he wasn't affected. All his friends knew he was hurting. Even though he could be a jerk, Zoey

hated how much pain she was causing him.

"Don't blame yourself either, Logan," she told him. This time, Logan turned away. He let go of her face and returned to his spot at the

wall.

Dana Cruz opened her eyes. Her whole body ached and she couldn't move her arms and legs. 'Where am I?' she thought.

"Dana," she heard someone choke out. Dana looked up. She saw a familiar brunette.

"Nicole," she whispered. Nicole let out a choked sob. "Where are we?"

"I don't know. I don't know," Nicole whimpered.

"What's going on?" Dana asked. Nicole gulped and, for the first time, looked up. Dana felt her stomach lurch. Around one of her eyes,

Nicole had a deep violet bruise. There was a bloody cut on the left side of Nicole's forehead. Her lip was split.

"They're after Zoey," she whispered, "I think they're going to kill us."

A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short. It's kinda pointless, too.

Next Chapter Preview: Just guess...


	5. Zoey!

Saving Zoey

Chapter 5:

Zoey!

Zoey walked into her dorm to days later. She set down the spare key she had to use and threw her backpack on her bed. She looked

around the room. Something wasn't right. She heard the faint sound of someone breathing behind her. When she turned around, she saw

a man. He was short and heavy set. She recognized him as one of the men who took Nicole. Suddenly, all Zoey could feel was blind

rage. She jumped at the man, sending a powerful knee into his groin. The man doubled over, falling to the ground. Zoey pulled him up by

the collar of his shirt and rammed him into the desk. The man sat up, dizzy. Zoey came into punch him again but, the man grabbed her fist.

He pulled her down and shoved her back into the corner of the desk. Zoey cried out in pain, falling to her knees. But a second later, she

was struggling to stand. When she turned, there was a gun pointed straight in her face.

"You're not gonna get away with this," she whispered breathlessly. The man just smirked.

"I already have, love," the man said in a thick British accent.

* * *

Chase heard a scream. A scream that made him panic. It was Lola, sounding just like she did when she found Zoey in the girl's lounge.

He ran toward the girl's dorm. Lola was standing, her back to him, with her hands covering her face. Chase came and slid an arm around

her shoulders. Lola looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Zoey," she whispered. Chase glanced into the room. It wasa mess. Papers and wrappers everywhere. The desk looked broken.Chase

gulped.

"Where are you Zoey," he whispered.

A/N: Hello, peoples, aren't you happy that I'm updating more often? Well, gotta go study for finals. See ya. Will update asap.


	6. Pulling Each Other Through

Saving Zoey

Chapter 6:

Pulling Each Other Through

Logan woke up in the early in the morning to hear muffled sobs. He realized who it was. Lola. You see, Lola had been scared to sleep in

her own dorm. So, the boys had offered their dorm. She was sleeping in Chase's bed and Chase was sleeping on the floor. But when

Logan looked down, all he saw was the comforter Chase had been sleeping on. Logan sat up.

"Lola?" he said softly. Lola jumped. She frantically wiped the tears from her face.

"I'm fine," she said. Logan motioned her over. Lola stood reluctantly and walked over. She sat on the edge of Logan's bed. He touched

her hand gently.

"No, you're not," he said quietly. Lola looked up at him, tears filling her eyes once again.

"It's my fault. If I had only…" Lola stopped when Logan cupped her face in his hand, a gesture so rare it confused her. Lola looked up

into his eyes.

"None of this is you're fault, Lo," he told her firmly. Lola started to cry again. Logan pulled her closer. Lola cried into his shirt.

* * *

Chase sat on a bench on the outskirts of PCA. He looked over at the sunrise and breathed in the fresh ocean air. He shivered. All of this

was his fault. Nicole, Dana and Zoey. Zoey. He should have protected her. Tears stung his eyes. Just then, someone sat beside him.

"She'll be fine, Chase," Quinn said. Chase wiped the tears from his eyes.

"How do you know that?" he asked, sniffling.

"Who knows Zoey best?" she asked. When Chase didn't answer, Quinn answered for him. "You, Chase."

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked.

"She has something to come to back for," someone else said from behind them. Dustin sat on the other side of Chase.

"What are you crazy people talking about?" Chase questioned easily, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work. The serious expressions

on Quinn's and Dustin's faces never left.

"She has her friends to live for. She knows we wouldn't last without her," Dustin stated.

"We just have to believe it," Quinn added. Chase nodded. He wanted to believe that. He wanted to believe that Zoey would come back.

That no one would harm her. But, in his mind, he knew that he'd lost her forever. He'd never have a chance to tell her how he felt. How

could he have been so stupid?

A/N: Ha, as you can tell, I love to make Logan have a sweet side. I just don't like arrogance.

Next Chapter Preview: The girls are reunited and relocated.


	7. Girls Always Stick Together

Saving Zoey

Chapter Seven:

Girls Always Stick Together

Zoey opened her eyes. Her vision was fuzzy and her head was throbbing. Finally, her vision cleared. She saw two figures in front of her.

She blinked again and realized who they were. Dana and Nicole. Nicole's forehead was creased in concern.

"You okay, Zo?" she asked gently. Zoey looked around. She and the girls were in some kind of van. The middle seat was removed and

the back of the van was covered by curtains. Zoey looked back at Dana and Nicole, who were both wearing concerned looks now.

"I'm fine, but, you guys, where are we?" Zoey asked. She tried to move her hands. They were bound behind her back. Her feet were

tied together. She noticed it was the same with Dana and Nicole.

"We're in a van. They're taking us somewhere else," Dana answered. For the first time, Zoey looked closely at her friends. Dana had

bruises all over her face. Also, on her left cheek, there was a bloody cut. Nicole, on the other hand, had a gruesome purple bruise around

her left eye. Her lip was split and there was a gash in her forehead. Tears stung Zoey's eyes.

"Are you guys all right?" Zoey asked, a tear rolling down her cheek. Dana maneuvered herself closer to sit beside Zoey. She leaned

slightly on her friend's shoulder.

"We're fine," she said softly. Suddenly, the van came to a sharp stop. All the girls hit their backs to the door. Zoey yelped, and felt light-

headed. She fainted. The door of the van opened, and Nicole grabbed Zoey's arm instantly.

* * *

When Zoey became conscious again, she found herself in a pitch black room. She cried out, suddenly frightened.

"Zoey?" she heard a voice call. It was Dana.

"We're here," she heard Nicole say. Zoey whimpered, reaching out for them. She felt someone's arm. Dana scooted closer, gripping

Zoey's arm. Zoey felt Nicole scooting closer, too. Nicole was crying. The girls sat there, all of them secretly wondering if they were ever

going to get home.

A/N: I know this is a really pointless chapter, but, I promise, I _will_ get to the point.


	8. A Dream and A Clue

Saving Zoey

Chapter 8:

A Dream and A Clue

_The man shoved Zoey's shoulders roughly, knocking her to the ground. Her arms were bound behind her back. Her carmel locks _

_dangled helplessly. Zoey struggled to her feet, not willing to give up. The man smirked. He raised a hand to strike her, but Zoey _

_flinched even before he touched her. She turned to him, anger flashing in her dark eyes. The man raised his fist again. This time _

_Zoey lashed out, kicking him in the stomach with impressive force. The man doubled over._

_"You can't win this alone, Zoey," another voice said. Another man revealed himself from the shadows. Zoey spun around, ready_

_to attack, but found a gun pointed straight in her face._

Chase shot up from his slumber in a cold sweat. He sat up from his spot on the floor and shivered. He looked around the dark room. His

roommates and Lola seemed to be sleeping soundly. He decided to go out.

Chase slipped out of the building. Cold air hit his face, causing him to shiver again. But, he kept going, hoping that the chilly air would

clear his mind. Truthfully, he knew that nothing could distract him from thinking about Zoey. Chase just started to wander campus.

Somehow, he ended up standing in front of room 101. He pushed open the door and flipped on the light. The room was neater than it

had been the last time he saw it. That had been almost a week ago. Chase walked across the room and sat down on Zoey's bed. He

leaned back on her pillow and stared at the plastic glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. He felt something bumpy digging into the back of

his bushy hair. Chase sat up and felt under the pillow. Under it was a small notebook. One look at it told Chase it was a diary. He

fingered the corners of the little book, mentally debating on what he should do.

Voice One: Maybe I should just put it back…

Voice Two: Why? It's not like she's gonna ever find out you read it.

Voice One: How do you know she's not?

Voice Two: Because she may never be coming back.

Voice One (sarcastically): Oh, that's gonna make me feel better.

Voice Two: Well, you gotta face reality here.

Voice One: You really suck, you know that.

Voice Two: Hey, I'm the negative side of you, what do you think I'm going to say? That the world is full of sunshine and rainbows and

little pink ponies?

Voice One: She's gonna come back.

Voice Two: No, she's not.

Voice One: Yes, she-

"What are you doing with Zoey's diary?" a voice asked, startling him. Chase tumbled down off of Zoey's bed. He sat up and tried to

explain.

"I wasn't…I didn't…I couldn't," Chase stuttered. Lola laughed and offered her hand.

"I know you didn't read it," she admitted. Chase nodded and ran his hand through his bushy hair sheepishly. Lola bent down to pick up

the little book. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep," Chase said. Lola nodded.

"Couldn't stop thinking about her?" she asked. Chase turned back to her abruptly, surprised by her question.

"Who?" he said. Lola raised an eyebrow at him. Chase cringed. "I know, stupid question." Lola giggled.

"I know you think that this was partly your fault."

"Because it was," Chase said. Lola shook her head.

"It wasn't. She's not missing because of you. This is none of our faults," she stated. Chase nodded. His gaze dropped to the floor. Under

the corner of Zoey's bed, he saw a manila. He kneeled down and picked it up. On the tab, written in a sloppy print, was:

**_Rico Carlos Ramirez_**

Rico. Rico. The name turned over and over in his mind. Why did it seem familiar? Suddenly, he remembered something Zoey had said.

What Zoey had heard just before she fell unconscious.

"Now Brooks will feel bad for putting Rico in jail," he said out loud. Lola leaned over his shoulder.

"What?" she asked.

"It was something Zoey heard the kidnappers say. Look at the name on the file," he said. Lola took the folder from his hands.

"So, what does that mean?" asked Lola.

"Zoey was taken because of this case," he stated.

A/N: Okay, will explain more next chapter.


	9. On Our Own

Saving Zoey

Chapter Nine:

On Our Own

Chase decided to report what he had found to the detectives on Zoey's case. He picked up the phone and punched in the numbers that

they had left for him. When they answered, Chase explained the situation to them. The detectives burst out laughing. Chase smashed the

phone down on the receiver hard, scowling at the fact that they weren't listening to him. Lola touched his shoulder gently.

"Chase, if they're not going to listen then we'll just have to find proof," she told him firmly. Chase looked at her and shook his head.

"We're just teenagers, what can we do?" he said.

"We can investigate, like interview people and stuff," Lola proposed. Chase shook his head again.

"They wouldn't talk to us." Lola grabbed Chase's arms and forced him to look at her.

"Chase, we have to do this. For Zoey," she whispered. At the sound of Zoey's name, Chase's eyes lit up. He nodded.

"For Zoey," he declared. Chase picked up the file folder from the desk and flipped through it.

Meanwhile, Logan was just waking up. The first thing he noticed was that Chase and Lola were gone. He threw the covers off and

chucked a pillow at Michael. Michael woke up grumbling.

"Dude, do you have to throw pillows at me this early in the morning?" he asked irritably. Logan shook his head.

"Do you know where Chase and Lola are?" he asked. Michael swung himself over the railing of the bunk bed.

"I have no idea," he stated. Michael and Logan made eye contact for one moment before they both dashed out of the room, Michael

leaping over the edge of the bed and Logan almost tripping over his shoes. The pair ran outside into the school's food court and realized

they were still wearing their sleeping clothes. People were laughing at them. The boys just ran faster. They ran all the way to the girl's

dorm and room 101, getting giggles and confused stares all the way there. They burst into the room, both breathing heavily. Lola and

Chase looked up at them.

"What up with the p.j.'s?" Lola asked.

A/N: I am so sorry I took so long to update. Next chapter: The gang investigates the dissapearance of their friends.


	10. Following A Lead

Saving Zoey

Chapter 10:

Following a Lead

Early that morning, Lola, Logan, Michael and Chase decided to leave. They were going to start with interviewing Rico's elderly mother. Logan handed his keys over to Michael and they all took off.

Two hours later, the gang was standing outside a little cottage.

"Oh…how cute, they have a wishing well," Lola said, her voice high and squeaky. Ever since Nicole had disappeared, Lola seemed taking on some of her more happy qualities. It was funny, really, considering the fact that her personality was closer to Dana than Nicole, but they knew it was her only way to keep together. Now they were used to it. It was kind of a reassurance that they could be safe. The four of them approached the door of the cute little cottage. Chase rang the doorbell. A small woman answered. She had snow white hair tied back into a bun, and strong, youthful blue eyes. They all smiled.

"Mrs. Rameriz?" The woman nodded.

"We need to talk to you about your son," Lola said.

* * *

"Please Mrs. Rameriz, I swear, this is important," Logan begged. The stubborn old Hispanic woman refused to give up. The woman just frowned at him.

"Mr. Reese, you are asking me to betray my own flesh and blood. And for what? So you can accuse my nephew of a crime he didn't commit?" she said. The whole group knew that it was someone close to Rico that would take their friends. Revenge was the whole key there.

"We know this has to do with the case A.D.A. Jonathan Brooks brought against your son. And now, even when you know what he's done, you still protect him?" Lola said.

"Three girls' lives are at stake here," Michael insisted. He looked up at Chase, who was leaning up against the doorframe, as he had when they first started talking with Mrs. Rameriz. His crystal green eyes remain dull and lifeless. Michael shuddered.

"I think there's even more than that if these girls are hurt," he said absently. He turned back to the woman.

"Please." Lola begged. Mrs. Rameriz looked at the three teens. She looked over at the one at the door. They deserved answers. But was she willing to give them?

* * *

They left each day. Zoey figured this out about a week into their captivity. Everyday they'd come to their dungeon, feed them, give them drinks and leave. The fear was replaced with anger after a while, and the pain with the craving for revenge. Nicole's wound healed. The cut on her forehead became nothing but a scar. But Zoey…it took all she had to wake up each morning. She was still hurting, both physically and mentally. She knew it was her fault her friends were in mess… 

Flashback:

Zoey walked through the hallways of her home, shaking dramatically. In desperation, she reached out to grip the railing of the stairs.

"Dad!!!" she called out. Instantly, her father appeared at the top of the stairs. The moment he saw her appearance, he ran to her. He carried her in his arms up the stairs to her room, where he laid her on her bed.

"Daddy," Zoey whimpered. Mr. Brooks stroked his daughter's cheek tenderly.

"What's wrong, baby?" he asked. He pushed back a strand of her blond hair. Zoey's eyes clouded.

"He killed her Daddy…Rico killed Katy," she said.

End Flashback

Only her father knew what she witnessed that day. Katy Santos was found in an alley, brutally beaten and stabbed forty-seven times. Her father had the police working on it non-stop, until they had enough forensic evidence to convict Rico Ramirez. Zoey was never called to testify. Unfortunately, Rico knew she saw him kill her. Apparently the message got around. And now her friend had to suffer for her.

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, I just had a terrible case of writer's block...see ya...hopefully soon.**


	11. Ryder Lane

Saving Zoey

Chapter Eleven:

Ryder Lane

"Damien Rameriz," the old woman said. She stood and proceeded to her kitchen, opening a drawer and rummaging through it.

"That's your nephew's name?" Logan asked. The rest of them followed Ms. Rameriz. She pulled a picture out of the drawer and handed it to him.

"Rico and Damien were always more like brothers than cousins. They were so alike, the two of them. But then they got involved in a gang…"

Lola took the picture from Logan's hand. It showed two guys, both tan and grinning. Neither of them looked like kidnappers. Or like they were in a gang. They looked youthful and happy, nothing like what Lola had seen them as in her head.

"That was taken their freshman year of high school. Then a year later, they got into a gang called TX. The leader is some guy named Cobra. He was the one who got my son into all this trouble. Told him he had to kill to get him into the gang. Sent him after some poor girl. She was only fourteen." Ms. Rameriz wiped a tear from her eye. Then she looked up at Chase, who had not moved since he arrived.

"Do you not speak, hijo? Do you judge me for protecting my family? _My blood_." she asked. Chase's eyes softened.

"No," he said, "I get it. I would do anything to get my friends back." The old woman stepped forward and put an old wrinkled hand on the side of Chase's face.

"You are a kind boy, Chase. You care about these girls very much…I see it. And you would give your life to have them back," she looked around at the rest of them, "You all would." Lola's eyes filled with tears. Michael moved to comfort her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Logan took her hand in his gently, and then put a hand on Chase's shoulder.

"Thank you for talking to us, Mrs. Rameriz," Logan said. They all turned to leave. As Chase stepped out on to the front porch, the old woman said to him:

"Keep close to them. A friendship like yours is hard to come by." He looked at her and nodded, then turned to follow his friends. But she called him back one more time.

"Here." She handed him a slip of paper with an address on it.

"My husband owned a store before he died. I couldn't keep it going, but I still technically own the place. When my son first started coming in late, I always thought he was there. You should look into it." Chase smiled and nodded.

"Thanks."

* * *

Bang! For the past half hour, the girls had been using various objects to ram into the door. They'd taken a crowbar to the lock, but found that all it did was break from the inside. At that moment, they had all just decided to take a table, like Will had done in Pirates of the Caribbean, and interlock it with the handle. Of course it was different from the movie, and there was an actual real chance they'd be trapped for the rest of their lives, however short a time that may be. Finally, they all settled down, leaning against one another and breathing heavily.

"Well, it was worth a shot," Dana said. She still had traces of bruises on her face. Her cut had healed thought, just like the gash in Nicole's forehead.

"I guess," Zoey said. Nicole turned her body towards her.

"You remember the car wash?" she asked. Dana cocked her head to the side.

"You mean the one where we wrecked that guy's car?" she asked. Zoey looked at her friends, clearly confused.

"And we gave most of our money to that incredibly stupid mechanic?" Dana continued. Nicole giggled.

"Yup." A long silence stretched between them. As much as remembering things made them happy, it also brought an unending sadness. Then, Zoey smiled. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Zo," Nicole said.

"Chase crashed into a pole when we met. And the next year, he flipped over on his bike. And then, he tripped over his luggage," Zoey said. Dana watched her carefully, then frowned.

"It's kind of weird how stuff like that comes to you," she looked at her friend, "when you realize you might not see them again." Nicole paled, and leaned her head on Zoey's shoulder.

"You got anything like that, Dana?" she asked, absent-mindedly.

"I stomped on Logan's foot at the dance?" Her smile faded, "And when I was leaving, I smacked him." 'Stupid,' she thought, 'the last thing he'll remember you buy is "Grow up, Reese."' Amazing. She'd spent so much time arguing and spent so little time actually saying how she felt. Just like Chase. 'Gees, I'm no better than he is.'

A/N: I'm really sorry I took so long updating. I've just been busy, what with preparing to leave high school and all. Kind of freaked out here. So yeah, I'll try to update soon, but, then again, I said that before.


End file.
